CambridgeIC’s R48mm 100° Arc Sensor

The UK fabless chip company specialises in angle sensing chips.

“The arc position sensors use the same technology behind our linear sensors, and are compatible with our existing processor chips, the difference is that sensor designs are curved into an arc,” company founder and director David Ely told Electronics Weekly. “It turns out that it’s really difficult to do this with other sensing technology. As far as we know, no other company has a range of arc position sensors for embedded applications. We are aware of one other arc position sensor product on the market, but it is only available in one size and has an industrial housing. If a product designer doesn’t need or have space for a housing, then we think we have the first real solution for them.”

Sensor with radius of 25, 30, 36, 48, 68 and 100mm are available and work with CambridgeIC’s standard target positioned either towards the inside or the outside of the sensor arc.

90° butterfly valve angle application

In most production applications, said the company, customers will have sensors built to Cambr idgeIC’s designs at their own favoured PCB manufacturer. “This means the customer’s mechanical design team can adapt the PCB design for the best possible integration with their product, for example they can customise shape, attachment features and connector, and sometimes add processing circuitry to the same physical PCB.” Sensors are wired to a CambridgeIC processor chip, its CAM204, for example, which delivers measured angle to a host processor.

Absolute angle is measured without physical contact using resonant inductive technology. This technology is wear-free, and can be installed without alignment or calibration. It is robust, precise and can work in harsh environments.

Other ways of sensing arc, than need mechanical complexity

Foreseen applications include measurement of: valve angle, antenna elevation, surveillance camera tilt, suspension level, exercise equipment and heliostat angle for solar energy collection.

Samples of the arc sensors are available now, together with development boards and other tools for evaluation and prototyping.